Middle East

Israeli Airstrikes Hit Areas Near Sidon, Including Nabih Berri’s Hometown

This is Beirut 20:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Israeli airstrikes were reported near Mseileh, al-Najjariya, al-Dawoudiya and Wadi Azza in the Sidon district of southern Lebanon on Friday night. According to the IDF, the strikes aimed to destroy Hezbollah engineering equipment. There are also reports on Friday of low-flying Israeli aircraft over the villages of Zahrani. Mseileh is ...

U.S. Sanctions Senior IRGC Officials Over Crackdown on Iranian Protesters

This is Beirut 19:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran United States Sanctions

The U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned six officials from the IRGC over their role in the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrators on Friday. Among those listed are Minister of the Interior Eskandar Momeni Kalagari, leader of the IRGC intelligence organization Majid Khademi, and four provincial IRGC commanders. This ...

UN Says Yemen's Houthis Seized Telecoms Equipment, Vehicles

This is Beirut 18:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Yemen Houthis

Yemen's Houthi rebels have confiscated telecommunications equipment and vehicles from unstaffed United Nations offices in Sanaa, the world body said in a statement Friday, decrying potential disruptions to its humanitarian work. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted UN agencies and detained dozens of its staff as part of a crackdown on alleged ...

Iran Says Europe to 'Suffer Consequences of Foolish Act' After Guards Terror Listing

This is Beirut 13:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Europe European Union

Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned on Friday that European countries would face consequences after the EU listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. "There is no doubt that the hostile action of the Europeans, who labelled the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, will not ...

Syria–Kurds Reach Integration Deal After Weeks of Fighting

This is Beirut 13:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Syria Kurds SDF

Syria’s government and Kurdish forces on Friday reached a broad agreement to gradually integrate Kurdish military units and administrative structures into the central state, following weeks of clashes that ended in a ceasefire. The deal, confirmed by both the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian state television, comes ...

Turkey Urges U.S. to Resist Israeli Pressure to Strike Iran

This is Beirut 11:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Tehran Turkey United States Washington

In a joint press conference held on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated their commitment to diplomacy and warned against any military intervention in Iran, as tensions in the region continue to rise. Fidan emphasized Turkey’s opposition to military action, stating that Ankara ...

Trump Confirms Speaking to Iran, Says He Plans to Again

This is Beirut 11:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel Tehran USA Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening that he intends to hold talks with Iran. When asked by reporters about the possibility of talks with Tehran, Trump said, "Yes. I intend that. We have a lot of very large and powerful ships heading to Iran right now, and it would be great not to have to use them.” Asked if ...

Op-edFrom Armed Deterrence to Durable Peace: Rethinking Shiite Security in Lebanon

Marwan El Amine 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Shia

Despite failing to instill ideological allegiance to Iran's Wilayat al-Faqih among Lebanon's Shia, Hezbollah has succeeded in forging a sense of collective belonging to Iran’s political project. The party achieved this more consequential outcome by recasting its weapons as a political doctrine and overarching identity, portrayed as superior to ...

Trump Declares Emergency Over Cuba, Targets Oil Exports, Cites Hamas, Hezbollah Ties

This is Beirut 02:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Cuba Iran Russia Sanctions

President Trump issued an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency over Cuba and detailing a policy of implementing secondary sanctions on countries exporting oil to Cuba. In the executive order, the Trump administration claims that Cuba hosts and cooperates with “dangerous adversaries” on its territory: ...

Qatari Emir, Iran's President Discuss Regional Deescalation Efforts

This is Beirut 29/01 21:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Iran Qatar United States

Qatar's emir and the Iranian president discussed regional deescalation efforts in a phone call on Thursday, as Tehran faced off with Washington. "During the call, they also discussed the latest regional and international developments, particularly the current situation and the efforts being made to de-escalate tensions and establish stability," ...

Iran Warns Shipping Ahead of Live-Fire Naval Drills Near Strait of Hormuz

This is Beirut 29/01 19:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran United States

Iran has sent out warnings to passing ships of live-fire naval exercises expected to be conducted next week near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Associated Press. The Strait of Hormuz is a significant bottleneck in global energy supply chains, seeing 20% of global oil shipments, and would be vulnerable in the event of a conflict with ...

World Food Program Terminates All Staff Contracts in Rebel-Held Yemen: UN Official

This is Beirut 29/01 14:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Nations Houthi Palestine United States

The World Food Programme is ending the contracts of all 365 staff in Houthi-controlled Yemen, a UN official told AFP on Thursday, effectively ending operations in a zone gravely afflicted by hunger. The United Nations agency suspended work in rebel-held areas in late August after the Iran-backed Houthis detained 38 employees in a series of raids, ...